Valved container or bag and the like



y 28, 1968 M. MAUFFRE ETAL 3,385,507

:1 Jan. 24. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 yl ae 5,36 2/ 520 22/ E l2 V W V FIG.8I

ze/vl/ //%LZZ/ [2924 INVENTORS MAR L MAUFFRE CLAU CARRIER ATTORNEYS 28, 1963 M. MAUFFRE ETAL 3,385,507

VALVED CONTAINER OR BAG ANI; THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P T I 36 38 K 32 i L FIGS } H65 F|G.6 WENT ORS MA L MAUFFRE CLA E CARRIER BY i ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,385,507 VALVED CONTAINER 0R BAG AND THE LIKE Marcel Mautfre and Claude Carrier, Houiiles, France,

assignors to La Cellophane S.A., Paris, France, a corporation of France Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,477 Ciaims priority, application France, Feb. 14, 1965,

4 Claims. 3:1. 229-625) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plastic bag or container which is easy to use, solid and in which the industrial operation used making the same is very simple and economical, said bag or container comprising continuous side walls connected by means of a closed off bottom, a separate piece of material forming flaps folded downwardly adjacent the top of said container and adjacent the outer surfaces of said continuous side walls, said flaps being heat sealed to said outer surfaces, and an opening means in said container for .filling it with material. The flaps folded downwardly and adjacent the top of the container each may have a diagonal heat sealed seam therein securing each flap to the outer surf-ace of each of said side walls.

The present invention relates to a container or bag and more particularly to a container or bag that can be inexpensively made of plastic material or other types of flexible material.

The use of plastic bags and containers to transport goods in the various forms, sizes and shapes is conventional in the packaging art. The use of plastic containers and bags gives the advantage of packaging the products under hydroscopic conditions which preserves the product packaged and prevents the adsorption of moisture. Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that the product is contained in a clear plastic container or bag, high quality and quantity is guaranteed. However, there are various problems which have faced the packaging industry by virtue of the use of plastic bags. Some of the disadvantages result from the manufacture of the bag inasmuch as it is necessary that an inexpensive and industrially acceptable method of filling and closing be used. In the past, the bags have been equipped with a valve which presents various problems by virtue of variations in structure, that is, it is not uncommon to find leakage and breakages along the surface areas or filling areas of the bag.

In accordance with the present invention, a container or bag has been developed which is easy to use, solid, and the industrial operation used to make the same is very simple and economical, i.e., the plastic bag or container of the present invention does not suffer from the disadvantages of the prior art plastic bags.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container, receptacle or bag in which is disposed opening means adjacent the upper end of the cont ainer for filling the bag by any suitable means such as a funnel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flexible or resilient container that is made, for example, of thermoplastic material with a fold made from another sheet of material disposed adjacent its upper end so that the adjacent portions of the fold provide a valve opening means for inserting a spout, funnel or other similar means for filling the container as desired.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a resilient container or bag in which material may be disposed so that as the bag is gradually filled up, the side walls of the bag or container will become distended or will expand so that as the bag distends, it will generally cause the valve opening means to come together or to close.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible container or bag with flaps disposed adjacent to and which overlap the upper end of the bag and which flaps are sealed to the main body of the bag or container, after first inserting or disposing within the walls of the main container a glass cloth member coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, or similar plastic material.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a container with folded down flaps adjacent its upper end which may be heat sealed to the outer surface of the main body portion of the container without causing the inner surface of the side walls of the main body of the container from being sealed to each other.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a container with a separate folded back flap adjacent its upper end and a diagonal edge along the flap for inserting a funnel or discharge member therein in order to fill the container with a material.

In accordance with the present invention, a flexible bag is provided having a closed or sealed bottom, and an open upper end. A separate sheet of material forming two flaps is folded downwardly over the opposite sides of the open upper end of the bag to close ofl? or cover over this open end of the bag. The lower transversely extending edges of the flaps are sealed to the outer faces or sides of the bag. The upper opposite corners of the flaps and bag are spot sealed together. One side of the flaps is provided with a diagonal seam which seals the flap to the respective outer skin of the bag upon which it overlaps. This provides an inwardly foldable valve opening into which a spout or funnel can be inserted for readily filling the bag with material.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the container embodying the present invention before it is filled with a fluid or material;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the container shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating the method of filling the container from a funnel member or the like;

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating the portion of the bag shown in FIGURE 2 after it has been filled and the flaps secured to each other by a spot type heat seal in the corners of the flaps;

FIGURE 4 represents another modification of the container embodied in the present invention illustrating a linear sealing of the opposite edges of the flaps after the bag or container has been filled;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a method of sealing transverse edges of the folded down flaps to the outer sides of the container embodied in the present invention, and

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the container shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURES 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating the portion of the bag with the valve flap means.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a container, bag or the like that is made of a flexible material such as any well known thermoplastic material, which material may be transparent or translucent, or opaque, as desired. The main body portion 12 of the bag consists of a continuous side wall 14 and the bottom of the bag is closed off by a transverse seam 16 which is preferably made by a continuous heat seal across the bottom of the bag or container.

The upper end of the bag is provided with a turned down portion 23 forming a rectangular fiap or fold extending transversely across the upper end portion of the main body 12 of the bag. It will be noted that the rectangular flap 20 extends beyond the opposite side edges of the main body .portion 12 as indicated at 22 and 24. The outer flap 20 is heat sealed to the outer surface of the adjacent main body 12 by a transversely extending heat seal seam 26 adjacent the lower edges of the flap 20. Each side of the bag is provided with a flap 20 so that there are two identical flaps facing one another on opposite sides of the bag, with only one fiap 20 being seen in FIGURE 1. The flaps are formed from a separate sheet of material, and not the bag.

Both flaps 20 are provided with a diagonal or oblique linear seam 28 extending from the upper edge 30 of the flap to the lower edge of the flap, adjacent the transverse seam 26. The diagonal seam 28 is also a continuous linear seam and is formed by a well known heat seal, sealing the flaps 20 to the exterior faces or sides of the main body portion 12 of the bag. The provision of the seam 28 on the respective fiaps 20 provide two 45 degree seams with respect to the horizontal axis of the bag, and form a filler valve or filler inlet means 32 for the container which is turned or folded inwardly as shown in FIGURE 2 during filling. This provision of a filler means for the bag eliminates the necessity of providing a complicated inlet valve in the plastic bag for filling it and thus eliminates the requirement of a complicated machine to insert a valve in the plastic bag.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the container or bag is filled by inserting the discharge spout or filler funnel 34 between the inner facing sides of the flaps 20 and also disposing the funnel between the diagonal infolded portions 29 of the main bag portion 12 forming the valve 32.

As the interior of the bag or container is filled with a material, the flexible or resilient container will have its continuous wall 14 distended or expanded as the bag is gradually filled. When the level of the material within the bag reaches the portion 32 forming the valve, it will cause the portion of the flap adjacent the seam 28 and the valve to approach each other or come together. When a suflicient quantity of material has been discharged into the bag, the funnel 34 is withdrawn from the bag and the diagonal portion 29 of the bag is pulled outwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 1.

After the bag is filled the infolded diagonal flap portion 29 of the upper end of the bag, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, is pulled or folded outwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 1. Thereafter, the opposite upper corners of the flaps 20, and corresponding corners of the bag are heat sealed together, as indicated by the spot or dot type heat seal 31 and 33 in FIGURE 3. After these spot seals are made, the only way to the interior of the container that is open is indicated by the dotted arrow in FIGURE 3. Thus, the only way to the interior of the container is by a path between the inner face of the out flaps 20, and the outer face of the upper edge of the container, and then over the top edge of the container, and then down between the inner surfaces of the continuous side wall 14.

If it is desired to fill the container with liquid, the container is heat sealed along the linear seams 42 and 44 of the flaps 20, asshown in FIGURE 4. The edges of the container are indicated as 36, 38 and 40 and are shown in dotted lines in the drawings. The particular method of apparatus for applying the heat seal along the appropriate seams does not form the invention and is well known. If desired, the edge 38 of the bag could be sealed, thus eliminating the need to seal the seams 42 and 44.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention provides a rather simple method of forming a bag and a closing flap from a separate sheet of material without requiring use of costly machinery and the like. The bag is also provided with a diagonal seam along the flaps and upper portion of the container to provide valve means, thus eliminating any complicated type of valve means in order to fill the interior of the container with a material.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, there is shown therein a method of forming the bag embodying the present invention. It will be noted that a glass cloth screen member 46, as seen in FIGURE 6, is inserted upwardly between the continuous side wall 14 of the bag. The continuous side wall 14 may be formed by extruding a thermoplastic material. The glass cloth member 46 is held between the faces forming the opposite sides of the continuous wall 14 and the separate double flap 20 is placed over the bag. Thereafter, the lower edges of the flaps 20 are heat sealed by forming continuous transverse heat seals along the transverse seams 26 and the diagonal continuous heat seal seams 28 are also completed at the time. Thus the seams 26 and the seams 28 secure the flap 20 to the outer surface of the continuous wall 14 while not in any Way securing the inner surfaces of the continuous wall 14 to each other. Thereafter the glass cloth member 46 may be withdrawn from between the opposite facing sides or faces of the continuous wall 14 of the bag. Thereafter the bottom continuous heat seal seam 16 is made to join the opposite faces of the continuous wall 14 to each other by any well known means to close off the bottom of the bag. After the bag is filled, the spot or disc seals 31 and 33 or seams 42 and 44, or seam 38 may be properly provided in the bag in order to close the bag as desired.

Thus from the foregoing description it is apparent that the present invention provides a simple method of forming a flexible and resilient thermoplastic bag that can be made from extruded thermoplastic material and readily secure together.

It is also apparent that the present invention provides a simple thermoplastic bag having a flap means disposed adjacent its upper end and forming a simple valve means therein for inserting material into the container.

Inasmuch as various changes may be made in the form, location and relative arrangement of the parts, and in the sequence of steps in forming the bag or container of the present invention, it is not meant to limit the invention except by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic container comprising continuous side walls connected by means of a closed off bottom, a separate piece of material forming fiaps folded downwardly adjacent the top of said container and disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said continuous side walls, said flaps being heat sealed to said outer surfaces, and opening means in said container for filling it with material, said flaps each having a diagonal heat seal seam therein wherein each flap is secured to the outer surface of each of said side walls and valve means are thereby provided therein by folding said side walls inwardly along said diagonal seams.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said flaps have their opposite side edges extending laterally beyond the main body portion of said container formed by said continuous wall, a transverse heat seal seam secures the lower edge of each flap to its respective outer portion of the continuous side wall, and a diagonal heat seal seam is provided adjacent one side of each respective flap to provide an inlet valve therebetween, and the triangular portion of stid valve adjacent said diagonal seams can be folded inwardly.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein the side edges of each flap are heat sealed to the outer surface of the said continuous wall with a spot seal in the upper opposite corners of said flaps.

5 4. The container of claim 2 wherein the side edges of said flaps are heat sealed to each other with continuous seams forming a liquid tight seam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,668,542 5/1928 Bates et a1 229625 1,736,396 11/1929 Duvall 22962 6 2,620,944 12/ 1952 Stahl 22962 X 2,959,343 11/1960 Rosander 229625 3,243,099 3/ 1966 Winegard 22962 FOREIGN PATENTS 545,641 9/ 1937 Canada. 1,307,820 9/ 1962 France.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

